UMass Lowell Expands Its Honors Program

University of Massachusetts trustees voted Wednesday to expand the honors program at its Lowell campus into an honors college.

School officials said elevating the program to a college will allow for more honors classes, service learning projects and co-op experiences.

"We think that it's going to allow us to attract students who are considering a number of private options, who were considering a number of public universities around the country," said UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan. "It makes them more likely to want to choose UMass Lowell."

The school said they expect more than a thousand students to be part of the honors college by next fall — a 36 percent increase from this school year.